Inside Running Game

What's shocking to me is our inside running game is non-existent. I'm not sure what it is but for a coaching staff which preaches MANBALL, we are far away from it. I didn't see any production from Fitz or any of the other RBs against stout defenses.

Our playcalling has been dismal. This makes me wish for 3 yards and a cloud of dust all over again. It wasn't pretty but it worked.

Also, what will it take to not throw interceptions and lose fumbles. This game reminded me of the dark days.

With a fresh corp of OL next season, I'm very skeptical of where we will be at. No more Lewan who'll be drafted 1st round.

We don't have the horses to run inside - at running back or on the offensive line. WOTS is that Chris Bryant was our best drive blocker, so if he's healthy next year, that might alleviate some of those issues. Because there weren't many holes, Toussaint started bouncing everything outside, and he's not fast enough to get to the outside every play; the same goes for Thomas Rawls.

Gardner is young and fairly inexperienced. I actually think he did pretty well to limit himself to 1 interception per game. After all, Denard threw 9 picks and didn't throw a pass after the second quarter of the Nebraska game; he also threw 15 last year. I think things are headed in the right direction on that front. And an improved running game would help on those play action passes.

Kalis could probably play right now. He's a big ol' boy. However, Lewan potentially leaving and having Magnuson starting worries me a little. He's still a bit undersized, unless you think he'll bulk up enough in the offseason.

Complaining about how crappy a group performed and then worrying about whether or not new guys can replace them is kind of a waste of time.

The worst case scenario is the ghost of Vincent Smith repeatedly lines up on 3rd and 1 and loses yardage. We've been there.

The young guys seem to have a skillset better suited to the things we're going to be doing from here on out and they are actually going to get to practice doing those things all the time after Denard graduates. And it isn't like the offense needs to be awesome (one TD drive in the 2nd half against ND, Nebraska, and OSU make for a very different season).

I'm more worried about Fitz getting healthy and finding a suitable #2 than I am about the offensive line.

True freshman starting, hopefully...they will be redshirt freshman, completed a years worth of strength and conditioning, as well as practiced at the college level for over a year. Our 97 team started like 1 or 2 freshman on the line.

They haven't used the manball phrase explicitly. But they've said time and again about shoring up the trenches. Showing toughness on the lines and winning the game on the defensive and offensive front. So, there is an implicit reference to MANBALL, at least in my mind.

How are we going to shore up the trenches? Are we taking transfers now? Will the Magic Drive Blocking OL Fairy wave her magic wand and *POOF* new manball OL.

We recruited 4 OL this year and have 4 in line for next year. We recruited how many DL last year? Trenches will be taken care of, but it can't happen over night. The players are who they are, not what we want them to be.

So if I understand your post you're upset because we can't run between the tackles with any effectiveness so your solution to our lack of an inside running game is we should revert to the old-school power running?

Haha my exact thoughts. The problem isn't that we are not runnin between the tackles, the problem is that we CAN'T run between the tackles....It would not help to try to run between the tackles more than we already do, because it would just result in more 0 yard gains.

Molk was our All-American center last year, this year was 5th year senior never started a game at Michigan and was always a backup guard Elliot Mealer. As Magnus said in another thread, he was good at snapping. However from what I've seen, he was a pretty poor blocker, especially if you want to compare him with Molk. He always seemed to get beat on the running plays, so we never really got anything going. Which begs the question more of why we kept trying to pound the rock up the middle?

The biggest difference from last year is definitely Molk. However, I really think that it is not his blocking that we are missing most but rather his recognition and communication skills. Communication and intelligence are two of the most important aspects of OL play. With Molk gone there really isn't anyone on the interior who provides that kind of leadership.

Developing linemen takes time, they are not like an elite skill position player who can contribute right away, linemen need a couple of years no matter how highly rated they are. Florida State had a whole bunch of highly rated freshmen on the line last year and it was a mess.

Maybe I'm missing something, but he just doesn't seem as dominant as an NFL 1st-rounder should be. If he's really a top 15 overall prospect, that's basically saying he is at or near the Long/Hutch level, and he really hasn't had a season like that.

I think guys leaving early is a good problem to have: it means guys are elite. Lewan has not seemed elite to me at all. Im not saying he isn't good or even a little above average but elite I don't see...

seriously, this has got to stop. I was as angry as every one was, but going back to 3 yards and cloud of dust isn't the answer as much as firing your OC in his second year without his guys is...

If we learned anything during RichRod it was that when we don't support each other we become fodder for the wolves. Right now, we need to back our team, disgruntled as we are, and take a wait and see approach about our future; we have bowl practices and a bowl game to get ready for next year...